Coca-Cola Applesauce

Growing up in my home in Utah, we didn’t have much in the way of ethnic food from different cultures. I suppose in many ways it was the same for most folks that were raised out in the west, outside major metropolitan centers. Let’s face it, the west and specifically Utah isn’t a beacon for emigration that would result in an multi-cultural exchange of foods and ideas. States like Utah with the predominant religion of LDS (Mormon) struggle to attract different cultures. This isn’t a take on how tough my childhood was, and how I was robbed of the experience. No. It is a statement that I needed to seek what I wanted out in life.

Latkes are a traditional for the Hanukkah celebration, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, traditional foods that involve frying in olive oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil that burned in the Temple of Jerusalem for eight days instead of just one. Hanukkah comes once a year, however I think you can make them any time for sure. This apple sauce recipe is perfect for anytime of the year, and it is a perfect accompaniment to that crispy, oniony (if that’s a word) potato cake.